Continuous Casting Machine With a Continuous Casting Die for Casting Liquid Metals, Particularly Steel Materials

ABSTRACT

A continuous casting machine ( 1 ) for steel materials has a continuous casting die ( 6 ) with a casting mold ( 10 ) formed of broad-side plates ( 11 ) and narrow-side plates ( 13 ) and at which piston-cylinder units ( 16 ) are provided as actuators and support bearings. The position of the piston-cylinder units ( 16 ) is measured by field measurement devices ( 21 ), the measurement data are stored in a control ( 23 ) of the continuous casting machine ( 1 ) via fieldbus modules ( 22 ) as BUS signals and, after being processed, are fed back to the actuators as control signals. In order to acquire and process the measurement data locally at the continuous casting die ( 6 ), it is proposed that a respective hydraulic cylinder ( 16   a ) is connected to a valve stand ( 24 ) with a stationary terminal box ( 25 ) for the measurement signal lines and control signal lines ( 28 ) and that the terminal box ( 25 ) is connected to an axis regulator ( 30 ) from which the fieldbus module ( 22 ) supplies the signals to a memory-programmable control ( 31 ).

The invention is directed to a continuous casting machine with acontinuous casting die for casting liquid metals, particularly steelmaterials, with broad-side plates which form the casting mold andbetween which are arranged at both sides narrow-side plates which can beadjusted to form the continuous casting width so that the shrinkage ofthe cast strand is taken into account and at which two piston-cylinderunits, which are spaced apart vertically, are provided as actuators andsupport bearings whose position is measured by field measurementdevices, with the measurement data being conveyed in a BUS line as BUSsignals by fieldbus modules and stored in a control of the continuouscasting machine and are fed back to the actuators as control signalsafter processing.

A continuous casting machine of the type mentioned above is known fromWO 01/94052 A1, which describes a continuous casting machine forlocalized casting data processing of the measurement data obtained at acontinuous casting die by sensors. The processing of the casting data iscarried out in a process computer of the control system of thecontinuous casting installation. Localized reception of measurement dataincreases the efficiency of the measuring path and simplifies themeasuring devices in that the measurement data and control data arecollected directly on the continuous casting die in cooled fieldbusmodules, transferred as BUS signals in a BUS line, and stored and/orprocessed at least in the control system of the continuous castinginstallation.

In order to adjust a piston rod that is articulated at the narrow-sideplate or to adjust a hydraulic cylinder, different signals which occurand must be converted in the vicinity of the hydraulic cylinder must beelectrically connected to a regulating circuit. The valve stand which isrequired for adjusting the hydraulic components is generally arranged atthe shop framework in the area of the casting platform or below thelatter (on so-called solid ground). The control equipment is usuallyinstalled in the area of the casting platform in the control room. It isimportant that there is a separation for the field devices in the areaof the continuous casting die because the continuous casting die must bedismantled and reassembled quickly. Therefore, the measurement data canbe supplied to the control circuit in the control cabin by the fieldmeasurement devices only from the continuous casting die or from thevalve stand. The distance to the control circuit in the control cabin isstill very great and data from four position transmitters, fourregulating valves in four synchronous serial interfaces and twelveanalog signals must be processed for each continuous casting die.

It is the object of the invention to acquire the measurement data in thearea of the continuous casting die in cooled field devices and toprocess this data locally.

According to the invention, the above-stated object is achieved byconnecting the respective hydraulic cylinder of the piston-cylinderunits to a valve stand which is arranged in the area of the continuouscasting die or the continuous casting control and which has a stationaryterminal box for the measurement signal lines and control signal lines,and by connecting the terminal box to an axis regulator from which thefieldbus module supplies signals to a memory-programmable control. Inthis way, cabling is advantageously reduced and the distances betweenthe component assemblies are shorted. But the chief advantage consistsin the axis regulators. The axis regulators are circuits which are basedon special microprocessors and are used for controlling servo-axes. Thestandard software in the movement control adds a real-time control forthe axis adjustment. For example, the movement control includesinterfaces for:

machine transducers or incremental position transducers,

digital or analog inputs or outputs,

a PROFIBUS,

a network.

The movement control used for the application comprises a remote controland a data display device. The application software is standard and isstored in a retrievable memory. The movement control is capable ofcontrolling a plurality of axes (hydraulic piston-cylinder units). Onthe basis of a graphic menu, the movement control is adapted to the typeof axis and to the type of position feedback by parameters. Programmingis not necessary. The movement control receives the required referencevalues and starting movement via the fieldbus line connection and feedsthem back to the master system with the position and a status reading.Further advantages consist in that the transmission of data between thememory-programmable control and the axis regulator is non-critical withrespect to time and is reliable.

Application software modules can be standardized. The cost of material,installation costs and the time spent on placing cable can be reduced.Susceptibility to electrical interference is reduced. Maintenance costsare likewise reduced. The time required for assembly and operationstartup is reduced.

Assembly and maintenance of the electronics are simplified in that thememory-programmable control is connected to the fieldbus module by meansof a detachable plug-in connection with a corresponding quantity ofcontacts.

According to another embodiment, the same advantages are achieved inthat position transmitters which are integrated in the hydrauliccylinders are connected to the valve stand at the shop framework by theplug-in connection.

Assemblies located in the vicinity of the heating zone are protectedaccording to further features in that the interior of the terminal boxesin the area of the continuous casting die is cooled.

Generally, for purposes of cooling, either air or cooling water which istapped off from the continuous casting die is used as coolant.

In a further development, the BUS line, fieldbus module and measurementsignal lines and control signal lines are physically formed by lightwaveguides or wireless transmission or infrared technology.

Embodiment examples of the invention are shown in the drawings anddescribed more fully below.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a continuous casting machine of any type,including the shop framework;

FIG. 2 shows a vertical cross section through a continuous casting diewith narrow-side plate adjusting device; and

FIG. 3 shows a simplified block diagram of the continuous casting diewith circuits.

The continuous casting machine 1 according to FIG. 1 has a supportingroll stand 2. The casting strand 7 of liquid steel material 3 whichflows from a casting ladle 4 through a tundish 5 and a continuouscasting die 6 and which is cooled on the outside is supported andfurther cooled in the supporting roll stand 2. The supporting roll stand2 comprises a plurality of roll segments 8, often up to fifteen rollsegments 8, the first roll segment 8 a being enclosed by a steam chamber9. The continuous casting die 6 is located in front of the steam chamber9. The casting mold 10 of the continuous casting die 6 according to FIG.2 comprises two broad-side plates 11 which are located opposite oneanother at a distance corresponding to the thickness of the strand 7 tobe cast. Narrow-side plates 13 which are adjustable for forming thecasting strand width 12 while taking into account the shrinkage of thecasting strand 7 are arranged on both sides between the broad-sideplates 11 and, for example, two parallel fastening blocks 14 which arespaced apart vertically are provided at the narrow-side plates 13. Theadjusting devices 15 having hydraulic piston-cylinder units 16 arearranged between the fastening blocks 14 on both sides. The fasteningblocks 14 comprise springs 17 within a clamping block 18 and aresupported on arms 19 carried by a supporting frame 20. Thepiston-cylinder unit 16 is an actuator and a support bearingsimultaneously. The position of the two piston-cylinder units 16 withtheir hydraulic cylinders 16 a is determined by field measurementdevices 21 which comprise, for example, integrated position transmitters21 a, synchronization devices for the left side or right side, for topor bottom, for the status of the sensors, a die code, maintenancecycles, and the like. The measurement data obtained are transferred bythe respective fieldbus modules 22 in a BUS line 22 a as BUS signals,conducted in a continuous casting control 23 of the continuous castingmachine 1 through a valve stand 24 with a stationary terminal box 25,stored and, after being processed, fed back to the actuators, i.e., forexample, the hydraulic cylinders 16 a, as control signals. The controlis located in a control room 26 of a control cabin which is fixedlyconnected to the shop framework 27.

The hydraulic cylinders 16 a are connected to the valve stand 24 in thevicinity of the continuous casting die 6 or the continuous castingcontrol 23. The valve stand 24 can also be located in the vicinity ofthe control room 26 (FIG. 1). The valve stand 24 contains the terminalbox 25 to which the measurement signal lines and control signal lines 28are fed. The measurement signal lines and control signal lines 28 areprovided with plug-in connections 29. The signals arriving from thevalve stand 24 are processed in a connected axis regulator 30 andconveyed by the fieldbus module 22 to a memory-programmable control 31located in the control room 26.

The circuit blocks are shown once again in a simplified manner in FIG. 3for a modified embodiment form of the actuators and support bearings(hydraulic cylinders 16 a). The separating line 32 expresses theproximity of the valve stand 24 and terminal box 25 to the axisregulator 30. The measurement data obtained from the hydraulic cylinders16 a are conducted via the plug-in connections 29 into the axisregulator 30 and via the fieldbus module 22 to the memory-programmablecontrol 31, no longer far away, in the control room 26.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 continuous casting machine-   2 supporting roll stand-   3 steel material-   4 casting ladle-   5 tundish-   6 continuous casting die-   7 casting strand-   8 roll segments-   8 a first roll segment-   9 steam chamber-   10 casting mold of the continuous casting die-   11 broad-side plate-   12 casting strand width-   13 narrow-side plate-   14 fastening block-   15 adjusting device-   16 piston-cylinder unit-   16 a a hydraulic cylinder-   17 springs-   18 clamping block-   19 arm-   20 supporting frame-   21 field measurement device-   21 a integrated position sensor-   22 fieldbus module-   22 a BUS line-   23 continuous casting control-   24 valve stand-   25 terminal box-   26 control room-   27 shop framework-   28 measurement signal line and control signal line-   29 plug-in connection-   30 axis regulator-   31 memory-programmable control-   32 separating line

1. A continuous casting machine (1), comprising a continuous casting die(6) for casting liquid metals, particularly steel materials, withbroad-side plates (11) forming the casting mold (10), narrow-side plates(13) which are adjustable for forming the casting strand width (12)while taking into account the shrinkage of the casting strand (7) andare arranged on both sides between the broad-side plates (11); and twopiston-cylinder units (16), which are spaced apart vertically, providedat the narrow-side plates (13) as actuators and support bearings, theposition of the piston-cylinder units (16) being measured by fieldmeasurement devices (21), the measurement data being transferred viafieldbus modules (22) in a BUS line (22 a) as BUS signals and stored ina control (23) of the continuous casting machine (1) and, after beingprocessed, fed back to the actuators as control signals, characterizedin that the hydraulic cylinder (16 a) of the piston-cylinder units (16)is connected in each instance to a valve stand (24) which is arranged inthe area of the continuous casting die (6) or the continuous castingcontrol (23) and which has a stationary terminal box (25) for themeasurement signal lines and control signal lines (28), and in that theterminal box (25) is connected to an axis regulator (30) from which thefieldbus module (22) supplies the signals to a memory-programmablecontrol (31).
 2. A continuous casting machine according to claim 1,characterized in that the memory-programmable control (31) is connectedto the fieldbus module (22) by means of a detachable plug-in connection(29) with a corresponding quantity of contacts.
 3. A continuous castingmachine according to claim 1, characterized in that positiontransmitters (21 a) which are integrated in the hydraulic cylinders (16a), are connected to the valve stand (24) at the shop framework (27) bythe plug-in connection (29).
 4. A continuous casting machine accordingto claim 1, characterized in that the interior of the terminal boxes(25) in the area of the continuous casting die (6) is cooled.
 5. Acontinuous casting machine according to claim 1, characterized in thateither air or cooling water which is tapped off from the continuouscasting die (6), is used as coolant.
 6. A continuous casting machineaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the BUS line (22 a), thefieldbus module (22) and the measurement signal lines and control signallines (28) are physically formed by light waveguides or wirelesstransmission or infrared technology.